Frecklemaid finished reading Green Mars (Mars Trilogy, #2) by Kim Stanley Robinson
I'm not sure I've ever read anything that pulls or this much scope so well before.
Reviews and Comments
Currently an International Studies/Software Development student with a love of speculative fiction. I also read a decent amount of nonfiction focusing on politics and philosophy. I read in French, Spanish, and (mostly) English with the potential for a foray into Esperanto.
Catch any full reviews or other random posts at my blog below: specual.me
My mastodon account: Humbly7362@todon.eu
This link opens in a pop-up window
305 pages ; 21 cm
Heavy handed but still entertaining
3 stars
Compared to the first book in the series this is hardly in the same league. The characters were interesting and some of the plot points were interesting but it simply was not as compelling as the first. The author uses the novel as a playground to explore sexuality and gender. This was done in the first book much more elegantly and here it is heavy handed and at times takes over the effort taken to making the plot decent. I wouldn't say you shouldn't read this book, but go into it with lowered expectations versus the impeccable first entry to the series.
Frecklemaid commented on The Book of Etta (The Road to Nowhere) by Meg Elison
305 pages ; 21 cm
Not nearly as compelling as the first so far. A little heavy handed with it's exploration of sexuality gender. The first book was a bit more elegant.
Frecklemaid rated The Book of the Unnamed Midwife: 5 stars
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison (The Road to Nowhere, #1)
When she fell asleep, the world was doomed. When she awoke, it was dead.
In the wake of a fever …
Frecklemaid finished reading The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison (The Road to Nowhere, #1)
When she fell asleep, the world was doomed. When she awoke, it was dead.
In …
Brutal and horrendous. Addictive and poignant.
Frecklemaid rated Freshwater: 4 stars
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Both a recounting of trauma and its impacts, as well as a retelling of a Nigerian fable. The main character's …
Frecklemaid rated The Left Hand of Darkness: 4 stars
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (Hainish Cycle)
On the planet Winter, there is no gender. The Gethenians can become male or female during each mating cycle, and …
Frecklemaid rated The Color of Magic: 3 stars
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (Discworld (1))
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels are consistent number one bestsellers in England, where they have garnered him a revered position …
Frecklemaid finished reading The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
Centuries in the future, Terrans have established a logging colony & military base named “New …
Very good. Has striking dissimilarities to Le Guin's other books that I've read but keeps the strong political throughlines that are her hallmark. I also think it is interesting that the focus on dreams has come up in several other 70s scifi pieces I've read so clearly it was a ~thing~ at the time.
Frecklemaid finished reading Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Both a recounting of trauma and its impacts, as well as a retelling of a …
I don't know how to rate this because it's literary merit surpassed my enjoyment of it?
Frecklemaid finished reading The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (Hainish Cycle)
On the planet Winter, there is no gender. The Gethenians can become male or female …
Very good though a little dry
Frecklemaid finished reading The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (Discworld (1))
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels are consistent number one bestsellers in England, where they have …
At this point I don't get the hype. Was fun but kind of confusing?
Frecklemaid reviewed The Invention of the Jewish People by Shlomo Sand
The Invention of the Jewish People (Hebrew: מתי ואיך הומצא העם היהודי?, romanized: Matai ve’ech …
Extremely thorough analysis of Jewish history
4 stars
I read this book because given the current conflicts in Israel-Palestine I thought I should learn more about how it got that way. This book is a comprehensive analysis of Jewish history and systematically pulls apart the Zionist mythistory of an ethnically cohesive, nomadic Jewish people returning to a long-lost homeland. It does so not by spending the whole book pulling apart Zionism (though that is peppered throughout), but by looking at the evidence available as to the origin of Jewish peoples, their migratory patterns and where a strong likelihood of mass proselytising occurred. Certainly, this was a bit of a dry read. It is every sense an academic text but if you've managed to make it through even part of a humanities degree you'll probably be able to smash this. For me personally, it further cemented my unfavorable opinion of Israeli statehood as it addressed the 'justification' for the …
I read this book because given the current conflicts in Israel-Palestine I thought I should learn more about how it got that way. This book is a comprehensive analysis of Jewish history and systematically pulls apart the Zionist mythistory of an ethnically cohesive, nomadic Jewish people returning to a long-lost homeland. It does so not by spending the whole book pulling apart Zionism (though that is peppered throughout), but by looking at the evidence available as to the origin of Jewish peoples, their migratory patterns and where a strong likelihood of mass proselytising occurred. Certainly, this was a bit of a dry read. It is every sense an academic text but if you've managed to make it through even part of a humanities degree you'll probably be able to smash this. For me personally, it further cemented my unfavorable opinion of Israeli statehood as it addressed the 'justification' for the existence of the state and for its ethnocentric, genocidal actions. Even if you disagree with me on those points, I think this is worth a read as an interesting history of the Jewish people, though be aware Sand does not make his own beliefs a secret either.
